crime and crime prevention

 

in the current day there are many crimes that are committed through the Internet. Many Internet criminals are using a number of different methods in order to take what they want from unsuspecting members of the public. There are a whole range of reasons why criminals commit crime via the Internet, however the most common crimes are the theft of money, the theft of identities or information and finally the damaging of others computers via methods such as viruses.

Out of all of the crimes committed via the internet the theft of money from others is the largest due to a number of reasons, however the main reason is that its probably the easiest to do as more and more people are buying and selling products via the internet with the use of credit or debit cards. Criminals are easily able to access these details if members of the public aren’t careful with their details, for example if a member of the public puts their details into an unsecure website there is a great risk of a criminal obtaining this information.

The theft of identity and information is also very common Internet crime in the current day. Many computer criminals will try and attack big businesses to steal data and information on a massive scale, for example in the news a while ago there was the story about the PlayStation Network, a group of cyber criminals attacked the company and stole millions of pieces of data from the PlayStation Network users. To businesses, data is one of the most important things to them, and if they are stolen by a group of criminals it can cause huge problems for the business. For example if everything was taken the business would have to recollect of the customers information which could be very time consuming and some customers may be cautious and not give the business their information again in the fear that it could be accessed by other computer criminals.

Cyber bullying is another crime that occurs frequently in the current day. With many people registering for social networking sites such as Facebook the crime is committed more frequently than ever, however this usually happens between the younger generation.

Phishing is also popular amongst Internet criminals. Criminals will spend huge amounts of time devising these schemes to make you fall for their methods, the most common type are mass emails that are sent with links within the email. Things such as “get rich quick” schemes are a sure sign of phishing and should be avoided at all costs. You can usually tell the difference between a legitimate and a fake website simply with common sense.

With crime on the up in the information age crime prevention has to come into play and be a lot more effective and it has with the newest technologies available to the police. For example a great method of crime prevention available to the police these days are databases, the Police are able to store huge amounts of data about anyone in the country, information can include previous convictions if you have any, simple personal information such as your date of birth and your fingerprints if they have taken them. The use of the databases to the Police is invaluable to them as it saves them huge amounts of time when searching through records as they can filter through results quickly.

Another method of crime prevention in the information age is the introduction of CCTV back in 1994. CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) is hugely important to police in these current times, CCTV allows the police to see exactly what’s going on without actually being at that location. The cameras capture footage and transmit it to a set of monitors wherever they may be. CCTV is enforced in areas such as stores, airports, banks, casinos, estates, nightclubs/bars and car parks.

Another method in which you yourself can protect your machine from harm is to install anti virus software, this will protect your system from all types of viruses, some can even sort out your emails for you so you can avoid phishing scams if you’re unable to tell the difference between a legitimate and a fake website.

crime and crime prevention

Identity theft and fraud

The impact on the UK economy from identity crime is estimated to be £2.7 billion per annum and it is believed that identity crime affects 1.8 million people every year.

Identity theft is when somebody steals your name and other personal information. Financial information is also often stolen and transactions and purchases are made in your name. Identity fraud is when that information is used to commit fraud.

Identity theft is not a victimless crime

Identity theft can be an upsetting experience for the victim. It can be months before the fraudster's actions are discovered and it can take several months more to sort out the problems created as a result.

Identity thieves are often linked to organised criminal networks and money fraudulently obtained by them is used to finance larger scams. Identity fraud has also been closely linked with human trafficking, illegal immigration, drug running, terrorism and money-laundering.

Your information can be used to open bank accounts, obtain credit cards, loans, state benefits, order goods in your name, take over existing accounts and/or obtain genuine documents like passports and driving licences.

How to stay safe

Always think before you give away your personal details. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Who exactly is asking for my details?
• What details are they asking for?
• Why do they need to know these details?
• Dispose of documents with any personal information on them securely. A shredder is one of the most effective methods. Even envelopes with your name and address on can be useful to an identity thief.
• Be aware of 'shoulder surfing' when you're filling out an application form in a shop, entering your PIN number at an ATM machine and when having phone conversations discussing personal information in a public place.
• Shred all debit and credit card receipts. Many receipts show all or part of a card or account number and may even show your signature.

communication: the history of mobile phones

for what purpose do you use your mobile phone?

there are many reasons why i use a mobile phone. communication is the main reason i use my phone. i do most of my communicating by text form and i also soetimes call people if i really need to. another reason i use my phone is for things like apps, apps have become a big thing in many peoples lives, they can range from educational apps to game apps. most of the apps i use on my phone are educational because they are better for me and tend to use less battery then some of the game apps. another thing i use my phone for is searching the internet, things like social networking and online shopping have now become accessable on phones and it means that there has become many more reasone why people now use phones. with internet on the go it means that you do not have wait and connect to certain wifi signals or things like that, with 3g and 4g it is right there at your fingertips and there is no need for you to even need to carry a laptop around with you anymore because most phones nowadays do everything that a laptop does but they are just much smaller.

how and where do you use your mobile phone?

there are many places that i use a mobile phone, infact pretty muh everywhere i go i use my mobile phone. its good because you can literally be anywhere and you will still be able to be in touch with people at the end of your fingers. other places i use the mobile phone, are places like schhol or college, this is because that when i am on frees and things like that and i am bored i like to keep in touch with people and see where they are, also when i am bored i sometimes play games on my phone so that i can pass the time by doing something a little more fun then just sitting around.other places i use my phone are generally when i am at home and  when i out with mates or on a night, again then is for the reason of keeping in touch with people and making sure people are alright.

what are the major benefits for you in using your mobile phone?

there are many benefits for me when i use my phone. a good benefit is keeping in touch with people and making sure that there is always a way to contact people through the use of my phone. another benefit for me is having the internet on my phone. like most young adults certain social networking sites have become a big part of our lives, so being able to stay in touch with that is a must have on most phones nowadays. another benefit of a phone is having the internet this means that if there is anything that desperately needs to be shown to someone or to be used then i can always access it. also probably the main benefit of having a phone is the fact that it is a boredom killer and if there is ever a time when boredom does infact need to be killed then i have my phone right there and ready to do it for me. also there are things like an MP3 playerbuilt into the phone so this means i can put all the tracks that i want to put on the phone and means i dont always need to carry my MP3 around with me a lot of the time. also the camera sometimes comes in handy when there is a moment that just needs to be remembered.

what problems or disadvantages do you have in using your mobile phone?

the biggest problem that occurs with mobile phones is the battery, because of all the apps and how mch the phone is used it is very difficult to make the battery last, sometimes the battery doesnt even last a full die and can die on me in the times when i need it most. another problem that can sometimes occur is that the phone can sometimes lose signal, this problem can prevent me from keeping in contact with people and then i can also not use the internet so the phone pretty much becomes useless.

does your mobile phone fulfil its intended purpose?

in my opinion my phone defonately fulfils its intended purpose it is pretty much everything i need right at the end of my fingertips, and its always ready to use when i need it, the only thing that it does not fulfil is its battery life and i sometimes wish that the battery would last longer but in every other case the phone is fine.

iphone: rotten to the core

life in the information age: education

Criminal phishing for personal information online is a booming business today. There are thousands of fake websites up and running right now, which are good for nothing more than collecting your private information for criminal purposes. In fact, most legitimate companies who typically collect personal information from customers have at least one fake site out there impersonating them.

URL
Many phishing sites take advantage of common misspellings of a company name, fooling many people into putting in personal information without realizing they are at the wrong site. Often, the website will look exactly like the real site.

LINKS ON A PAGE
Some phishing sites will have links in the exact places links are placed on the real company’s website, but if you mouse over them you will find they are not links at all. Or, the links may open but lead to blank pages. Many phishing sites are not complete replicas. They only have enough information to fool you from the first page so you input your password.

DOES THE PAGE LOOK FAKE
some websites are so easy to spot, this is for the main fact that the websites just look fake. this can be from having a logo that looks abit shoddy, to there being a load of ads on the screen, these are all things to look out for when looking for fake websites. another thing to look for is if the websites look really plain and like the website has been designed by someone that doesnt seem to have the time to make a good website. If a company have a lot of money and are a legit company then their website will look great as they have probably paid a lot of money for their company to go on the internet and they want their website looking its best when people want to go onto it.

SECURE
a way to check whether a website is secure is by looking in the top left corner of your screen at the search box. if a website has 'HTTP' this means that the website is not totally secure and if people want to see what you are doing they probably could. 'HTTPS' means that the website is totally secure and that noone can possible see what you are looking at.

how has SMS changed

there have been many ways in which teting has changed and influenced on peoples lives. first of all there is a whole new language that has derived from SMS that pretty means acronyms are a big thing to say and text. things like 'LOL' and 'G2G' are used a vast amount nowadays. 'lol' is used as laugh out loud and this people have just come to erms with actually saying 'lol' out loud when they see something funny. these acronyms are used because they are just easy ways of saying certain things when you can not be asked to type the whole sentence out.
  some say that SMS is dieing out, this is because there has been a drastic fall in the amount of texts sent per year. i believe that the reason that this is happening is because there are other apps that provide the same thing, like sending a message, but it is completely free. these are things like BBM mesenger and whatsapp.
   the way people communicate has changed a lot over the years because when people never used to use the sms service there were a lot more people meeting up face to face. people have got so use to texting that it is now the number one thing when communicating. people use it as a way to get a short but definitive message to someone without actually having to meet up with them.

mobile phone pros and cons of use in public

pros

• having 999 available at the touch of a button is critical to maintaining personal security.A mobilephone ban could impede drivers' ability to report an accident, road rage incident, medical emergency or crime. Drivers assert the importance of calling for directions if lost or receive help if their car breaks down.
• Genuine emergencies do occur, and some calls truly cannot wait. People who have sick or elderly family members, parents expecting an important call from their child, and those in the midst of a crisis believe it's acceptable to leave their phones on in public.
• Some people believe they have a right to talk on their phones under the law, and that cell phone bans intrude on their personal freedom. As they pay a high monthly price for this communication option, they believe they can use the devices wherever and whenever they choose.

cons

• In airplanes and hospitals, mobile phones can interfere with the functioning of delicate instruments, a serious consideration. Many places have banned mobile phone use while driving, citing a relationship between phones and traffic accidents. A 1997 "New England Journal of Medicine" study found that talking on a phone while driving quadrupled the risk of an accident, nearly equal to the danger from driving drunk.
• Many people go to places such as libraries specifically to focus and do work. Others attend church or religious services for time to worship and reflect. People who use their mobile phone voice could distract others. When they have paid for a nice (or even a not-so-nice) restaurant meal, restaurant-goers feel entitled to soft conversation and a relaxed atmosphere in which to unwind. Some mobile phone chatter remains inappropriate for anyone to overhear, especially young children.
• Often mobile phone users will multitask, attempting to carry on a conversation while using an ATM, driving or completing a store transaction. Their divided attention becomes an obstruction to the cashier and an inconvenience to those behind them, who must wait longer.

new ict project